Bill Would Make National First Responders Day Federal Holiday

A federal bill has been introduced to make Oct. 28 as National First Responders Day.

Proposed by Rep. Bobby Rush, (D-Illinois) and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-South Carolina), the designation would make the day in late October one of the legal public holidays in the United States, WHNS-TV reports. If passed, National First Responders Day would join New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day as recognized federal holidays.

"My support for first responders is unwavering," Norman said in a statement. "The heroism firefighters, police officers, and paramedics show has never been clearer than it is right now."

In fact, both lawmakers pointed to the current COVID-19 pandemic as the most widespread example of why firefighters, EMS workers, police officers and other first responders are essential in the country. 

"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made the importance of the contributions our first responders make in every community across the United States clearer than ever,” Rush said in a statement. "Firefighters, police officers, and Emergency Medical Services workers put their lives on the line every day to protect our neighborhoods. Whether that crucial work involves extinguishing potentially deadly fires, keeping our streets safe, or delivering urgent and lifesaving medical services, first responders are there when Americans need them."

The full text of the bill can be read here.